Strain end or corner for wire fences.



.No. 674,694. Patented May 2|, I90!- M. D. CUMMINGS.

STRAIN EN D 0R CORNER FOR WIRE FENCES.

{Application filed Oct. 31, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES MONTRAVILL D. CUMMINGS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

STRAIN END OR CORNER FOR WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,694, dated May 21, 1901.

Application filed October 31,1900. Serial No. 35,018. 1 lo model.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MONTRAVILL D. GUM- MINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Strain Ends or. Oorners for Wire Fences, of which the following is a specification.

In the production of a strain end or corner for wire fences I have devised a construction whereby all the strain of the line-wire is transferred from the post by anchored rods each having a winder device, and the particulars of my improvements will be set out in the claims concluding this specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of a strain end or corner of a wire fence, showing a metal tubular flanged post and how the strain of the line-wires is transferred from the post to a brace and to an anchor-plate by rods anchored on the latter and connected to the line-wires by a winder device. Fig. 2 shows the brace of angle-bars and its wire-supporting rolls mounted between the angle-bars. Fig. 3 shows in side view the winder device for one of the line-wires mounted upon the end of the anchor-rod. Fig. 4: shows a detail of the winder device on the anchor-rod and its relation to the brace-roll of the line-wire. Fig. 5 shows the winder-cylinder and its bracket parts, one of which is shown with the eyed end of one of the anchor-plate rods. Fig. 6 shows in side view the way in which the upper bent ends of the brace-bars are secured to the flanges of the post. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the same, showing the angle-bars of the braces riveted to the flanges at the upper end of the post. Fig. 8 shows one of the clenching-staples for the post-flanges.

I prefer to use a sheet-steel post 1, rolled into a tube, with its edges bent to form flanges 2 of radial projection meeting and bound together to form a stiffening and bracing rib to the tube. The flanges are provided with holes for riveting them together in that part of the post which is embedded in the groundand for being clenched together by staples 3 above the ground. The post has an annular flaring base-flange 4, by which it is seated on the anchor-plate 5, and the flange-clenching staples 3 are bent to form eyes, for a purpose which I will presently state. The post anchor-plate 5 is set about three feet in the ground, is about five feet long and twelve inches wide, the post standing on one end, and to the part extending from the post vertical rods 6 are nutted to its under side and terminate in eyed ends '7 above the ground below the bottom line-wire, the number of the eyed rods being determined by the number of the line-wires. I

A brace of two angle-bars 8, bolted together side by side, are fastened to the top of the post and extending therefrom at an angle of about forty-five degrees over the anchorplate is anchored in the ground by a board,

plate, or foot 9 near the end of the post anchor-plate. The angle-bars of this brace are bolted together by strong bolts at points corresponding with the line-wires 10, which are strainedover the rolls 12 on those bolts between the angle-bars. These rolls are vertically above the eyed rods and have grooves to keep the line-wires from rubbing off the galvanizing from the brace -walls between which the wires pass.

The provision for securing the brace to the post consists in bending the upper end of that part of each brace-bar within which the rolls are mounted, with ends 13 standing back of the brace at an angle of about forty-five degrees thereto, so as to receive between them the meeting flanges 2 of the post, and the brace ends are thus bolted to the post-fianges without interfering with the top roll or the top line-wire passing over it. To this structure of post and brace, their connected anchor parts, and the eyed winder-rods the linewires are connected and tightened.

A winder device is secured to the eyedend of each anchor-rod, and consists of a windercylinder 14 and eyed bracket parts 15, fastened by nutted bolt 16 to the eyed end 7 of the anchor-rod, so that the cylinder stands horizontal and the line wire is secured in either of the holes 17in the cylinder between the brackets. At one end the cylinder has a square end 18 and a ratchetl9, intowhich a pawl 20 is pivoted on one of the bracket parts next to the ratchet for holding the cylinder when the wire is won nd thereon. In this straining of the line-wires the direction of the strain is downward upon the brace and upward upon the anchor-plate, so that the pulling force upon the two parts will be borne entirely by the brace and resisted by it in consequence of its anchorage. The brace besides having stiEening-ribs is further stiffened by the bolts on which the rolls are fitted, and by tightening the Wires direct from the anchor-plate the strain is all upon the brace and anchor-rods. These rods are about a half-inch iron or steel, and the post-anchor may be a plate of steel or of wood well tarred or painted.

As the line-wires have no connection with the post, the triangular space which is thereby left between the brace and the post is filled in or covered by the wires 21, fastened to the staples 3 of the post and wound loosely on the line-wire back of the roll, leaving the line-wires free to be tightened.

I prefer to make the ratchet and windingcylinder all in one piece and to engage the ratchet by the pawl attached to one side of the bracket, and the winding is done by the square extension beyond the face of the ratchet-wheel.

It will be notedthat the post, its anchorplate, the anchor eyed rods, and the brace form a structure on which the line-wires are supported and strained. It will also be noted that the post stands on the anchor-plate and with the winder anchor-rods and the brace may be anchored in the ground as a single structure and the line-wires connected and strained thereon. It will also be noted that the winding device being carried at the eyed ends of the anchor-rods causes the straining of the line-wires to exert a downward pulling force only upon the brace and not on the post.

I claim 1. In a wire fence and in combination with a post and the line-wires, of a brace constructed of angle-bars having rolls mounted between them, an anchor-plate on which the post stands having eyed anchor rods and winder devices for the wires secured to the eyed ends of said rods, whereby the line-wires are tightened on the brace from the winderrods.

2. In a wire fence and in combination with a post formed with meeting flanges and the line-wires, of a brace constructed of anglebars side by side having rolls mounted between them and having their upper ends terminating in a pair of clamps embracing and bolted to the post-flanges, an anchor-plateor foot having eyed anchor-rods and winder devices secured to eyed ends of said rods.

3. In a wire fence and in combination with a post and line-wires, of a brace connected thereto, an anchor-plate having eyed anchorrods, winder devices fixed on the eyed ends of said rods, and rolls for the line-wires arranged vertically over the said Winders.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MONTRAVILL D. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses: I

J OHN F. Fnneus, E. R. DUNN. 

